If you loved
The Leftovers
Damon Lindelof · Series · 2014
What hooked you in The Leftovers was the way sudden, inexplicable global events force individuals to navigate the profound, lingering trauma of loss.
Books on the same thread
Left Behind
Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins · Book · 1996
Like The Leftovers, this story examines the societal collapse and existential crisis that follow a mass disappearance, focusing on the faith and doubt of those left to pick up pieces.
Under the Dome: A Novel
Stephen King · Book · 2009
This narrative mirrors the isolation found in The Leftovers by trapping a community behind an impenetrable barrier, forcing residents to confront their secrets and the breakdown of social order.
Remains
Steve Niles · Book · 2004
Much like the survivors in The Leftovers, the protagonists here must navigate a world irrevocably changed by a mysterious event, focusing on the raw struggle to exist in a new reality.
The Shadowhunter Chronicles
Cassandra Clare · Book · 2007
The Leftovers fans will recognize the desperate search for meaning after a sudden vanishing, as characters here navigate a shattered world while attempting to recover what was lost to them.
Films on the same thread
What Happened to Monday
Tommy Wirkola · Film · 2017
This story echoes the desperate survivalism of The Leftovers, centering on the personal impact of state-mandated disappearances and the fractured identities of those forced to live in the shadows.
Weapons
Zach Cregger · Film · 2025
Just as The Leftovers explores community trauma, this film examines how a town processes the collective grief and mass hysteria that follows the sudden, unexplained vanishing of its children.
Don't Look Up
Adam McKay · Film · 2021
While the tone differs, this satire captures the same frustration felt in The Leftovers when humanity fails to acknowledge or properly react to an impending, world-altering existential threat.
Arrival
Denis Villeneuve · Film · 2016
If you appreciated the philosophical depth of The Leftovers, this exploration of first contact mirrors its focus on how humanity attempts to communicate with the truly unknown and inexplicable.
Podcasts on the same thread
Unexplained
iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Fans of The Leftovers will appreciate this investigation into the uncanny, as the podcast mirrors the show’s preoccupation with events that defy logic and leave humanity searching for answers.
The Telepathy Tapes
Ky Dickens · Podcast · 2026
This podcast shares the investigative spirit of The Leftovers, pushing past the boundaries of the known world to explore the mysterious, unexplained potential of the human experience.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Leftovers based on a book?
The Leftovers is a television series created by Damon Lindelof in 2014. It is not an adaptation of a book or other source material, so there are no original texts to compare the show against regarding its narrative structure or plot development.
What is the premise of The Leftovers?
The Leftovers follows the aftermath of a global event where 2% of the world's population abruptly disappears without explanation. The series focuses on the lives of the people who remained behind and how they struggle to understand and cope with this sudden loss.
How does The Leftovers handle the global disappearance?
The Leftovers centers on the societal and personal struggle to make sense of the event where 2% of the population vanished. The narrative focuses on the experience of those left behind as they attempt to reconcile their lives with the unexplained loss of their loved ones.
Is The Leftovers a show about the people who disappeared?
No, The Leftovers is specifically the story of the people who did not make the cut during the global disappearance. The series explores the perspective of those who remain on Earth after 2% of the world's population vanishes without any explanation.